Diamond Buyers Club
Thinking about diamonds? Welcome to the club!
Thinking about diamonds? Welcome to the club!
A diamond is more than a piece of jewelry, it's an investment. Many people feel intimidated by the idea of buying a diamond on their own. Fear not. There is an easy way to understand how to determine a diamond's characteristics and value — the 4C's.
A diamond’s beauty, rarity, and price depend on the interplay of the 4C's—carat, color, clarity, and cut. The 4C's are recognized worldwide as a way to classify the rarity and value of diamonds. Diamonds with a combination of the highest ratings in one or more categories are more rare and more expensive. Keep in mind no one characteristic is more important than another in terms of beauty. A diamond’s beauty is always in the eye of the beholder, but a smart buyer knows how to judge a diamond’s characteristics.
Learn more about each of the C's and become a diamond expert yourself:
Carat refers to the weight of a diamond.
Carat is often confused with size even though it is actually a measure of weight. One carat is equivalent to 200 milligrams. One carat can also be divided into 100 “points.” For example, a .75 carat diamond is the same as a 75-points or 3/4 carat diamond.
Cut and mounting can make a diamond appear larger (or smaller) than its actual weight. So shop around and talk to your jeweler to find the right diamond and setting to optimize the beauty of your stone.
Color refers to the degree to which a diamond is colorless.
Diamonds range in color from icy winter whites to warm summer whites. Diamonds are graded on a color scale established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) which ranges from D (colorless) to Z.
Warmer colored diamonds (K–Z) are particularly desirable when set in yellow gold. Icy winter whites (D–J) look stunning set in white gold or platinum.
Color differences are very subtle and it is very difficult to see the difference between, say, an E and an F. Therefore, colors are graded under controlled lighting conditions and are compared to a master set for accuracy.
Truly colorless stones, graded D, treasured for their rarity, are highest on the Diamond Quality Pyramid. Color, however, ultimately comes down to personal taste. Ask a jeweler to show you a variety of color grades next to one another to help you determine your color preference.
Clarity refers to the presence of inclusions in a diamond.
Inclusions are natural identifying characteristics, such as minerals or fractures, appearing while diamonds are formed in the earth. They may look like tiny crystals, clouds or feathers.
To view inclusions, jewelers use a magnifying loupe. This tool allows jewelers to see a diamond at 10x its actual size so that inclusions are easier to see. The position of inclusions can affect the value of a diamond. There are very few flawless diamonds found in nature, thus these diamonds are much more valuable.
Inclusions are ranked on a scale of perfection, known as clarity, which was established by the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). The clarity scale, ranging from F (Flawless) to Included (I), is based on the visibility of inclusions at a magnification of 10x.
Cut refers to the angles and proportions of a diamond. People often mistake the various shapes of a diamond as the meaning of cut. But that is not the case.
Based on scientific formulas, a well-cut diamond will internally reflect light from one mirror-like facet to another and disperse and reflect it through the top of the stone. This results in a display of brilliance and fire, thereby placing well-cut diamonds higher on the Diamond Quality Pyramid than deep or shallow-cut diamonds. Diamonds that are cut too deep or too shallow lose or leak light through the side or bottom, resulting in less brilliance and ultimately, value.
Diamonds do come in several different shapes — round, square, pear, or heart for example. Since a round diamond is symmetrical and capable of reflecting nearly all the light that enters, it is the most brilliant of all diamond shapes and follows specific proportional guidelines. Ask a jeweler to find out more about these guidelines.
Non-round shapes, also known as “fancy shapes,” will have their own guidelines to be considered well-cut.